


Fusion

by BrightDarkness_2013



Category: Brave Police J-Decker
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-24
Updated: 2019-09-05
Packaged: 2020-09-25 01:20:49
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,752
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20368285
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BrightDarkness_2013/pseuds/BrightDarkness_2013
Summary: This wasn’t good. Nothing was working on it. Mega was down. Super Build Tiger was being crushed and at this point I wasn’t sure how much longer Fire J-Decker was going to last. Shadowmaru was the only one lucky enough to have not gotten hit, but he was beginning to tire and we all knew it. I looked over at Mega.“How powerful would we be if we fused?”The dual colored robot looked to me, seemingly stunned. I hadn’t been very welcoming to them. We had been at odds the moment they showed their faces. But there was no choice now.In which Gunmax fuses with two others and said fusion refuses to break apart.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story is a bit of a strange one, but very interesting in my opinion. It is in fact a Brave Police story, but it has transformers and steven universe aspects. If you want to know where it came from check my idea board work "Just Story Ideas'. It should be on 'chapter 5.'

These two robots had a strange way of connecting. They stuck to each other like glue and when they combined it was a thing to behold. They called it fusion. Apparently it wasn’t like a simple combining. Everything about them fused into one and created a new being. According to their creators they had despised each other before the fusion and yet here they were. Fusion was a strange thing. There was no hint of the new robot having separate beings inside of it and working together. They were a whole new robot with its own personality and way of doing things. There with things here and there that showed aspects of them when it did things, but over all Mega was neither Redwave the sword wielder nor Bluelight the spearmaster.  
  
They were here for a sort of test run. To see if they worked well not only amongst each other, but with others as well. They were uneasy around us and difficult to work with. They much preferred to go off on their own and do things their own way. They believed themselves invincible when they were fused. So invincible in fact that they wanted no other within their little bond at all. Every other possible candidate had been turned away and scoffed at. But they were here to learn teamwork and get experience so they were simply stuck with us despite the headaches. They would have to learn one way or another that they were not as invincible as they thought they were.  
  
And this lesson was taught barely two days later and it was taught without mercy. Unfortunately the beast that taught it was far too strong and was intent on destroying everything in its path.

\------------------------------------------------  
This wasn’t good. Nothing was working on it. Mega was down. Super Build Tiger was being crushed and at this point I wasn’t sure how much longer Fire J-Decker was going to last. Shadowmaru was the only one lucky enough to have not gotten hit, but he was beginning to tire and we all knew it. I looked over at Mega.  
  
“How powerful would we be if we fused?”  
  
The dual colored robot looked to me, seemingly stunned. I hadn’t been very welcoming to them. We had been at odds the moment they showed their faces. But there was no choice now.  
  
“Very. Mine was double my parts on the first and triple after the connection completed.”  
  
“Will it be enough to take that down?”  
  
“I have no doubt.”  
  
“Then use me and save them.”  
  
“This is not quite as simple as you think it is. There is nothing to compare fusion to. There may be no turning back. It-”  
  
“Do you want to live or not?” I snarled.  
  
Mega took a moment, but said nothing more. It was a strange experience. The coding was passed along easily enough and I had a feeling I was separating and combining in ways that I wasn’t meant to be. Mild panic was starting to worm its way into me as thoughts and feelings, memories that I knew weren’t my own were starting to fill me until suddenly… Gunmax didn’t exist anymore. But I wasn’t Mega anymore either. As I looked out at the losing battle I pondered.  
  
Despite my parts having been beaten down I could feel the new power coursing through me. If two of my parts together was Mega then I would be Ultra. And Ultra while having that desire to protect didn’t need anyone. So protect them I would. It was what I was built to do and what my parts demanded that I do. Wielding spear and gun, blade at my side I charge. Surprise spread through them as I shot it in its eyes and stabbed it right through the neck. Oil spilling everywhere. It thrashed, but a few more strikes and it was over. I wiped away the splatter from my visor with my thumb and licked at it absentmindedly.  
  
“G… Gunmax?” Came the soft voice of a child. Yuuta was this boys name.  
  
One of the parts in me stirred. Upon further prodding I found that the connection wasn’t complete. This connection ran deep. Memories, emotions, and personalities mixing, mixing and not merged. But it could be deeper. I wasn’t fully one. And if my parts split then I would no longer exist. This new part had been desperate. It would no doubt be opposed to this a second time. To survive the connection would need to be completed. Yet my new part was nagging at me just below the surface. I eased it back down.  
  
I was stronger than everyone. Better than Mega. This was how it was meant to be. I wasn’t going to let one stubborn part end me. It was starting to settle again. Yes. It was just me. Just Ultra. And I would be completed soon enough.  
  
“Gunmax?” The boy tried again and I slowly looked away from my kill to the group.  
  
They were all beaten to scrap besides that ninja. Shadowmaru, part three’s memory supplied. The first two were stubborn and refused to interact. They would be needing repairs, but this beast needed to be taken apart into more manageable pieces. That would have to be my job. I sheathed my weapons.  
  
“There is no Gunmax.”  
  
Hm. Even my voice was stronger than Mega’s. How fitting.  
  
Horror had hit their expressions. I briefly got the possible hint of why from part three. There had been a strong chance that one or the other would be absorbed and deleted when Fire J-Decker formed for the first time. That wasn’t how it worked, but it wasn’t my problem what they thought.  
  
“Redwave. Bluelight. What did you do?!” Dumpson yelled from inside Super Build Tiger.  
  
There was no Redwave nor Bluelight either, but they would never understand. With what I had gathered from part three their combinations couldn’t even scratch the surface of what fusion did. There was no point in trying to explain it. They hadn’t even begun to understand when it was explained by the engineers. This fact made my first two parts feel lonely. Lonely that no one could understand.  
  
“I shall start the clean up while you are all repaired.” I started off.  
  
“Let him go! Let Gunmax go!” Power Joe yelled at my back.  
  
I simply kept going. In their state they wouldn’t be able to give chase to distract me and there was plenty of work to be done.  
\-----------------------------------------------  
I was being glared at from all sides and I ignored them the best I could. Then their little boss stood, slamming his hands down on the desk. The child was obviously upset, but he wasn’t my problem.  
  
“Let Gunmax out.”  
  
“There is no Gunmax.” I replied evenly without looking up from what I was doing with my spear.  
  
“I’m the Boss and I Order you to break apart.”  
  
I slowly met the boys gaze. “You may have been Gunmax’s boss, but you are certainly not mine.”  
  
And there was that stubborn part again. Trying to surface. The boy looked very angry and if I turned around I was sure that I would see many similar looks. I didn’t have to tell him anything. I didn’t have to do anything that he ordered, but…  
  
“So I will not ‘break apart.’ The connection between my pieces aren’t finished aligning. When that is done I will consider it.”  
  
“No! Break apart Now! Give Gunmax back!”  
  
“There is no Gunmax.” I repeated.  
  
“Break apart or I’ll tear you apart.” Power Joe stood with a snarl.  
  
Did he really think that he could do anything to me after what he saw me do? I was far superior to him in every way.  
  
“That won’t do anything. Gunmax is not here. It is just me and you will have to deal with it.”  
  
“And who exactly are you?” Came the calm question from the ninja.  
  
“I am Ultra.”  
  
“And this… connection? Why is it so important for it to be completed?”  
  
“It is incomplete, therefore making my stats fall far below what they could be. Unfortunately, this one is going to take quite a while to finish. I am having a bit of difficulty with it.”  
  
“Gunmax is still fighting.” Came McCranes remark and I nearly sighed.  
  
“There is no Gunmax. Only I.” I returned my attention to my spear.  
  
Over the next few days they tried to ‘awaken’ Gunmax. Scans fell over me from time to time. They asked probing questions that I chose not to answer half the time. Calling out to him and trying to remind him of things despite my constant reassurances that he wasn’t there. Why would they want him back anyway? I was far superior to any of my parts on their own. Though as the days wore on and I got closer to finishing it, I noted that I was losing a bit of my energy and strength trying to force it.  
  
However, it was the quickest way. I didn’t have the luxury of time. If I released any of my parts then I would cease to exist and I doubted that my new part would want to fuse again. Especially not with how this was going. If I split then the Brave Police would no doubt want my other two parts gone as they couldn’t understand what was going on. So it had to be now and it had to be done as quick as possible, as tiring as it was. Then I would still be there even when I split.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team takes the situation into their own hands,

This wasn’t working. I couldn’t focus with them always interrupting me. Not only that, but it was becoming obvious that they were planning something. Something I was sure I wasn’t going to like. My time to finish this was coming to an end quickly. So I was off to find a place to finish. I was on my way out when an even voice stopped me.  
  
“It’s Friday, Gunmax. We always go for a ride on your bike on Fridays.”  
  
A sudden urge to ride a bike I didn’t have surfaced. Deckerd. He was a large threat to this.  
  
“There is no Gunmax.” I spoke and forced myself to continue, but he stopped me again.  
  
“Where are you going?”  
  
“To find a quiet place to finish the connection.”  
  
This startled everyone in the room and I felt a firm grip on my wrist.  
  
“No. I can’t let you do that. We want Gunmax back.”  
  
“There is no-”  
  
“Gunmax Is There!”  
  
My optics widened under my visor at his raising his voice.  
  
“He’s still there and he’s still fighting. Just let him out, Ultra.”  
  
I took a moment before I tried speaking. “If I let any of my pieces go then I will cease to exist. The connection must be completed in order for me to survive. I have no intention of dying today or any day.” I yanked my wrist away. “It’s just me now. Gunmax is Gone.”  
  
“That’s not True!” Yuuta screamed. “If you won’t let him go then we’ll force you to!”  
  
And just like that they advanced on me. Tedious allies turning into enemies at one statement. They were trying to prevent me from leaving. From surviving. I didn’t have time for this. I fled. I couldn’t risk whatever they were planning. I was going to survive.  
  
\--------------------------------  
Hidden in the junkyard I sat. Lowering my head I focused inward. Forcing the connections one at a time. Each one giving me a spark of power and ease. It was time consuming. But it was relaxing in a way. Ever so slowly I was becoming complete. Everything else faded into the background. I breathed a soft sigh as the next one slid into place.  
  
“Gunmax!”  
  
My concentration broke as I was tackled. I didn’t even have a chance to fight back as J-Decker and Duke Fire pinned my arms, Super Build Tiger at my legs. Shadowmaru landed on my abdomen. He held a strange metallic stick. I could feel the magnetism coming off of it in low pulses.  
  
“Just what do you think you’re doing?”  
  
“Disrupting the connection.” Came the simple answer.”  
  
“Do it now!” Came the order.  
  
He pressed it to my chest and for a moment I wasn’t sure what it was supposed to do. Then I felt it. And I started struggling. I could feel myself weakening already. Plating rippled as it slowly undid the fusion. I screamed and struggled to keep myself together. It was screwing it all up! All of my efforts! Done away by this Thing! My voice was slowly breaking into three. I was losing myself.  
  
No. No! No! No! All of you stay! You can’t! You can’t separate! This is right! This is how it’s supposed to be! You’re supposed to be Ultra! Me!  
  
But it was no use. I was breaking apart. I had to get away. I gave one last thrash. Fighting to toss them off. I slipped free just enough. Just enough to escape their grasps. I panted as I looked at them. I retreated back another step as I help my chest.  
  
“Gunmax!” Yuuta called desperately.  
  
“We were so close.” Duke Fire spoke.  
  
“Again!” Drillboy pressed.  
  
They were ready to charge me, but then I stumbled back and held my head.  
  
“Gunmax!” Deckerd called and I struggled to push it down.  
  
“Break free, Gunmax!” Duke practically ordered and I felt my plating ripple underneath as it tried to break apart.  
  
No. I didn’t want to die.  
  
“You can do it! Come on!” Drillboy joined them.  
  
I was losing my grip. I screamed. It hurt! It hurt! My voice split back into three.  
  
“Gunmax!” Yuuta...  
  
I broke out of the fusion. I hit the ground hard, a deceivingly soft sound leaving my lips. I Ached. I felt like I hadn’t had rest in days. There were multiple warnings popping up on my HUD that I was far too exhausted to read and make sense of. Someone propped me up and I blearily looked up, too tired to sound my discomfort. Deckerd. I hardly got a chance to read the warning that popped up as my frame shut me down.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gunmax wakes back up.

I slowly onlined. Line after line of text telling me my status before I was looking out at the repair bay. The engineers from Redwave and Bluelight’s project were there as well, but they didn’t look half as concerned as the others did. They actually looked rather fascinated with whatever had occurred. I still felt strangely drained despite having just woken back up. Apparently I and my unit had been under their microscope so speak for quite a few days.  
  
Miss Monica was beaming while Mr. Saido looked simply enthralled in whatever he was looking at. The rest of the team had stayed back home, deeming these two good enough to handle anything that came up on this test run with Red and Blue.  
  
“What happened?” I finally asked.  
  
“Uh… Well apparently you somehow exchanged some coding with each other.”  
  
“I know. I got some new coding when we began fusing.”  
  
“It’s not only the new combining sequence though. You have copies of each others data files. Each others memories. Not to mention there’s some coding here that we don’t fully understand. It acts as some sort of communicator, but it’s still doing something and refuses to remain dormant so-” Toudou started.  
  
“It’s their ‘bond’ coding. It allows all members in the fusion unit to share all information freely. This constant flow keep them from misunderstanding each other and preventing those misunderstandings from stopping them from fusing. Yours however is incomplete. Another fusion should sort that out.” Mr. Saido spoke without looking up.  
  
“Absolutely not. Did you not See the condition he was in after they finally separated them?” He demanded. “He was not meant to transform that way nor do whatever it is you made them for.”  
  
“It wouldn’t have ended that way had you just let it be. The transformation sequence would have settled and the coding would have fully integrated.”  
  
“If the coding had settled then we’d be down one here. We can’t have one of our own ‘Bonded’ to yours. That wouldn’t be good for any of them considering you don’t live in this country.”  
  
“You just don’t understand how extraordinary this was. Not only were they willing to bring another into their fold, but the fact that they could bring in one that didn’t have the coding to begin with?” Miss Monica chimed in. “This is ground breaking. Another fusion would be-”  
  
“No.”  
  
“You are being completely unreasonable.”  
  
It was a bit uncomfortable watching them argue like we weren’t even here. I nearly jumped at this strange pressure that appeared for a moment. It wasn’t really Pressure, but it was the only word that I could find to describe it. I waited to see if I would feel it again. Another minute passed before I felt another. It didn’t hurt. It didn’t feel like something was wrong. Then I caught the eyes of Redwave and Bluelight. They were both looking at me rather intently. We held our little staring contest for a time before our attention was drawn away.  
  
“Alright. So we’re going to let you out, but we want to keep a close eye on whatever is going on until we can figure out how to remove it without causing any more damage. We’re going to have to have frequent check ups. So if anything and I mean Anything happens I want you back down here. Got it?”  
  
I wanted to scoff, but I was actually a little concerned with whatever was going on. I took a moment to wonder if I should inform him about the pressure that I had felt earlier, but decided against it. I really didn’t want to be in here any longer than I had to be. Besides, they probably already knew about whatever it was since they had been examining us for days. So I started out and the two made like they were going to follow before Miss Monica stopped them. I wasn’t sure where she got her confidence from. We had seen her trip over nothing so many times back in the states that it was ridiculous. She was a clutz but it sure passed the time in the lab when she was there.  
  
I paused. Where had that come from? I had never even been to the states. Well he did say that our data had been shared and copied so it was probably nothing to worry about.  
\------------------------  
  
Assimilating back into the Brave Police was far more complicated than it should have been. ‘No, nothing hurt.’ ‘Yes I was fine.’ ‘If there was something seriously wrong then they wouldn’t have let me out.’ ‘No I don’t really recall my time as Ultra.’ ‘Yes I was cleared for duty.’ ‘I’m positive that I’m fine.’  
  
It was just an endless onslaught of questions from them. Not to mention that Drillboy was bouncing around in his little anxiety fit and I swore Shadowmaru was trying to read my thoughts. I really needed a nap.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gunmax gets sick of everyone and their strange behavior.

Everyone was trying a bit too hard and it was annoying. They were treating me like I was fragile and I hated it. I had even snapped at them a couple of times and no matter what I said it failed to get a rise out of anyone. They just looked at me with these concerned expressions and I just wanted to hit them. It was frustrating just to be around them now. Working with them was going to be hell when I was allowed to again. McCrane especially happened to be my concerned shadow and whenever I tried to get some time alone he was there and asking if I wanted company or to talk. My snaps seemed to affect him and Shadowmaru the least. I had almost constant visits to my little room and Drillboy always wanted to have sleepovers now. No matter where I went, someone was always skulking around. So I ended up storming off and down the hall. Somehow I found my way to the repair bay. My entrance got their attention immediately.  
  
“Did something happen? Is the coding doing something?”  
  
“No. The coding is fine. I’m fine. Now give me something to do Away from them or I’m leaving.”  
  
“Why would you want to be away from your team?”  
  
“They’re acting like I’m going to break at any moment and its irritating.” I growled at the concern in his voice.  
  
“Well… We do have a delivery that’s scheduled for today. It’s not much, but we’d appreciate it if you brought the crates down here for us when they arrive. It would save us a whole lot of trouble.”  
  
“Fine.” I spun around and headed off.  
  
It really wasn’t interesting, but at least it gave me the excuse to sit outside for a while. No one could order me back inside either if they gave me this little task. It was something at least. Maybe I could get some time alone, finally. At least as alone as we could get in a city. So I sat and I waited. Watching the vehicles go by made me miss riding my bike. It felt like it had been forever since I rode it. It was my way to get around and my armor. It was with me in every transformation. My thoughts were interrupted by a truck approaching.  
  
“You’re our pick up today?”  
  
“Seems that way.”  
  
“Alright, well you know where this goes, yeah?”  
  
“Yeah. I got it, I got it.” I huffed as lifted a few of them.  
  
Even some delivery brat was treating me like I couldn’t even handle a simple task. I was halfway down to the repair bay when my load was taken from me.  
  
“Here. Let me help you. Where are you bringing these?”  
  
“Just what do you think you’re doing, boyscout?”  
  
“Assisting you.” Came Deckerd’s reply. “You shouldn’t be pushing yourself so soon after the incident.”  
  
“Pushing myself? This is hardly pushing myself. Toudou asked this of me himself so I think I’m fine. Now give it back.” I was raising my voice now, but he seemed keen to ignore it.  
  
“So you’re taking these to the repair bay then?”  
  
“Yes. Yes I am. Now give.”  
  
“I can take care of it. Why don’t you go rest for a while with Shadowmaru?”  
  
I was going to kill him. He had selectively ignored half of what I had said and had turned his back on me. Like I was lesser than he was. I fumed as I made my way back to the truck for the rest of it.  
  
“That was fast.” The deliver brat spoke boredly, but let me take them without question.  
  
“Yeah, yeah. I got the rest. Now get.”  
  
“Don’t gotta tell me twice.”  
  
I didn’t bother watching him head out and back into the depths of the city. I had only gotten about twenty steps down the hall when Duke approached me.  
  
“Gunmax. Let me carry that for you.”  
  
“Back off. I’ve got it.”  
  
“I insist. Let me.”  
  
“I don’t need help. How many times do I have to tell you?” I snarled when he held his arms out for it.  
  
“Gunmax, please. Just let me carry one. We just don’t want you straining yourself. You took quite a bit of damage from the fusion.”  
  
“I’m Not. Nothing I’ve done has been difficult. I haven’t even been allowed to leave HQ. I’m Fine, for the hundredth time.”  
  
I continued down the hall at a much more brisk pace and he kept pace with me without comment. I was actually starting to feel myself calm down a bit until I saw Deckered again further down.  
  
“Gunmax, please go rest. I told you I could take care of it.”  
  
“I’m Fine! Quit treating me like an invalid!”  
  
“Gunmax-”  
  
“You know what?! Fine! Take’em!” I practically threw them at him with no care for what could have possibly been in them before I spun on my heel and stormed off.  
  
They didn’t give chase and I took that chance for what it was. With no one hovering over my shoulder I hopped on my bike, gunned the motor, and took off. I unconsciously found myself back to my first home. The highways. The wind in my face and the familiar turns. The speed.  
  
But…  
  
The further I got the more aware I was of this strange feeling. It was like this pull. And I suddenly felt like I needed to turn back. I needed to go back and I wasn’t sure why. I grit my teeth and pushed on. I wasn’t going back. The coding practically writhed and I hissed. I wasn’t going back! And no amount of coding caused discomfort was going to stop me. I pressed on. Heading off the curving highways and further out. This discomfort was getting worse. Something wasn’t right. This wasn’t right. More of that strange pressure was building up. Something felt like it was being stretched thin. Then I saw the bridge. And it was like I had hit a wall.  
  
Pain! It burned! It ached! I jerked to the right sharply as my vision nearly whited out at the pain. The loud screech and then suddenly I was running off the bridge and into the water. I struggled. Dragging myself and my bike out and back toward the unmarked safe zone the coding was screaming at me. Once I crossed that invisible line the pain ebbed and I collapsed. Panting as despite being mostly submerged earlier I felt extremely hot. I lay there and panted for a long while. I shook and I felt weak. I swallowed thickly as I crawled a little further toward the water, risking angering the coding again. When the pain didn’t return I just sat as close to that line as I dared. Leaning on my bike with my legs partially submerged in the water, I rested.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, don't know why, but I freaking Love robots.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gunmax is found.

I onlined to a touch. I felt much cooler and the evening was beginning to give way into night. The pressure was still there, but the discomfort and need to turn back was gone. There wasn’t even a shadow of pain. I looked up into the concerned gazes of Duke and Deckered. With a stunt like this there would normally be some anger there. Yet there wasn’t even a hint of that anywhere.  
  
“Quit looking at me like that. I was going to come back.” I finally spoke, my voice sounded so loud in the quiet.  
  
“We were worried about you. You’ve been gone for quite a while.”  
  
“I’m fine.” I breathed as I returned my gaze to the water.  
  
I felt far too tired to summon any anger at that. I was roaming somewhere near empty and whatever had occurred earlier had sucked quite a bit of energy out of me. That pressure just kept prodding and for some reason I got the feeling that I wasn’t alone in my frame anymore. I looked back up at them when a canister was offered to me.  
  
“Drink. You’ve gone far too long without it.” Duke spoke calmly.  
  
I didn’t bother putting up a fight though I knew I’d probably needle him somehow had I been feeling better. So I simply took it and sipped at it.  
  
“Are you tired? Would you like a ride back?” Deckered settled more comfortably next to me.  
  
“No. I just had a nap.”  
  
I knew they really wanted to press. They wanted to know what had happened. There were no doubt some intense skid marks on the bridge from where I lost control. There was an obvious story of how I ended up down here, but what had caused it was a mystery to them. To myself.  
  
“Max.” Came the quiet prod.  
  
“Hm.”  
  
“Are you ok?”  
  
“I’m better.” Much better than earlier.  
  
“Would you just talk to us? Please.”  
  
“There’s nothing to say.” I answered quietly.  
  
Emotions were difficult to reach with how drained I was. No hurt formed at them having tracked me down because they didn’t trust me to come back. No irritation at how they all thought that I was so weak and broken. No worry at what had happened earlier. No relief at them understanding that I didn’t want to talk and leaving it at that. We just sat together while I drank. The night seemed painfully fragile as it drew in. And ever so slowly I stood and began wheeling my bike away from the cool waters edge. They followed without a word. Silent guardians that I would never admit that I appreciated.  
  
As we headed back onto the road I caught sight of the wall my team had formed. Redwave and Bluelight stood beyond them. I hadn’t seen them since we had woken up in the repair bay. Their expressions were pinched and their gazes locked on me. McCrane and Shadowmaru appeared passive despite having such strong stances, while Dumpson and Power Joe were more expressive as they stared the two down. Drillboy was always so animated, always moving. He had a glare that looked far more cute than threatening.  
  
I really didn’t want to get into whatever was going on between them all right now. I just wanted to go back home and rest a while longer. So I was off without a word and they were quick to follow. Our little herd was probably a sight to behold as we made it back. And when I was off toward my room Drillboy caught up.  
  
“Hey! I got Boss to get me some new movies. I have some picked out for tonight’s sleepover.” He grinned.  
  
It was forced as it always was around me now. Half of the time he wasn’t even watching the movies. Just glancing at me from time to time and fidgeting. He was very mobile. He found joy in activity so sitting still for so long watching movie after movie had to be terrible for him. And as we lay watching the small screen that night I heard him speak.  
  
“Max? You do know that we care about you a lot? Right?”  
  
I couldn’t find it in me to answer him. It was such a simple question. All I had to do was say yes or no, but at the moment I wasn’t sure how I felt. So I said nothing.  
  
“Are… Are you asleep already?”  
  
After another bout of silence he cuddled into my back just like he had been doing the past few nights. I knew it was more for his comfort than anything else.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gunmax searches for Redwave and Bluelight.

As I settled myself for my shift of watching the phones and waiting to alert everyone should any trouble occur with Dumpson I paused. Power Joe was there as well. Maybe the kids were busy today or something if he wasn’t out there with them.  
  
“You’re up.”  
  
“Yes. Why wouldn’t I be? It’s time for my shift.”  
  
“Well the schedules changed.”  
  
“What do you mean the schedules changed?”  
  
“After what happened yesterday, it was decided that we let you rest and then take you to the repair bay.”  
  
“Yeah. So I’m covering your shift. Be grateful.”  
  
“I’m fine.”  
  
“You drove off a bridge and into the water.” Came Dumpson’s reply. “I don’t think that counts as fine.”  
  
“McCranes coming to take you down.” Power Joe interrupted before I could retort and I scowled.  
  
“I don’t need an escort.”  
  
“The moment someone wasn’t watching you, you went and drove off a bridge.” He reminded. “So let Joe take over and go get checked out.”  
  
“I left because I was being constantly watched! I haven’t had any time to myself since I woke up!”  
  
“Well we can’t leave you alone if you’re going to go and drive off bridges!”  
  
“That’s enough. We don’t need to be starting any fights this early in the morning.” McCrane did not looked to pleased. “Let’s head down the the repair bay, Gunmax.”  
  
“If it will get you all off my back.”  
  
He kept pace with me without complaint when I left and slowed when I slowed. I had my own questions popping up now that was feeling better. Why had Red and Blue’s project been extended here when they had gotten what they needed. And if they were staying here with us for the time being then why hadn’t I seen them until last night? Not to mention why they were all acting so weird. At this point I doubted that I would get anything out of my team here so that left me to getting answers from Red and Blue.  
  
“Do you want to talk?”  
  
“No, McCrane. I still don’t want to talk.”  
  
“You just seemed to be debating on something.”  
  
“And if I was that doesn’t mean that I want to talk.”  
  
“True, I suppose. If you want to talk about anything I can keep it between us.”  
  
“No you won’t. You’ll tell and label it as doing what’s right out of concern.”  
  
“If it’s that serious then you may be right.”  
  
I paused at the repair bay doors. “I’m here. You can go.”  
  
“Alright. I hope you feel better soon.”  
  
“I feel fine. It’s all of you that are convinced that I’m not.”  
  
I really did not want to be in here, but it was my only chance to ask some questions and get some answers. Even if Red and Blue weren’t here then Toudou would be more likely to tell me what I wanted to know about their whereabouts. So I stepped in and he was quick to usher me along. They weren’t here. That left Toudou. I’d ask him when he was done checking. He’d be more willing to answer when he wasn’t like This. So I stood still and let him do what he needed to do.  
  
The passage of time was nonexistent when in repair. Toudou, especially didn’t want us to be in any pain or feel any panic as we were worked on so it was like no time had passed at all when it was a critical repair and more like a deep doze for a more minor one. So when I was suddenly looking out at the bay and the time read that it was multiple hours later I knew this had been treated like I had been damaged extremely. Like I had lost a limb or the like. I felt the need to sigh, but the look on his face made me reconsider.  
  
“What?”  
  
“Nothing. I think I’d like you back here daily though.”  
  
“That doesn’t sound like nothing. What’s wrong now?”  
  
“We’re just not making any progress with it with what we have. So if we can check it more we may get a breakthrough.”  
  
Great. Now He was hiding things from me?  
  
“Fine. Whatever.” I turned to leave.  
  
“Gunmax.”  
  
“What now? We’re done, right?”  
  
“Duke is going to be dropping by to get you. So it would be preferable if you stayed here so he doesn’t have to find you.”  
  
“I don’t need a babysitter.”  
  
“And we don’t need you leaving the base without a word again.”  
  
Everyone was turning against me. Why didn’t they trust me anymore? What was the point of me even being here if they didn’t trust me? I was taken off the duty of watching the phone already. There was always at least one more there so it wasn’t like I would be without a babysitter during that time. I gave a huff, but leaned against the wall. He watched me a moment longer before he went back to work on whatever he was trying to do. I took that time to scan the bay. Just searching for one of the two. And there was Miss Monica. Casting a glance at Toudou to see if he was distracted I approached as close as I dared. No one appeared to be watching me at the moment, but that was a difficult thing to judge, especially here.  
  
“Miss?” I asked and she looked away from the screen she was staring at.  
  
“Yes?” She smiled, but the fact that her voice was a little more hushed she was either being watched in some form too or had caught on to the situation.  
  
“Could you tell me where Redwave and Bluelight have been?”  
  
“They have their little room at the eastern end. A floor below your dorm area.” She answered before she turned back to the screen.  
  
That would be all I needed, I suppose. It would take some time to find the exact room, but it would have to be enough. Our rooms weren’t labeled so it was safe to assume that the floor below ours didn’t have any labels either. So I returned to my wall and waited for my latest babysitter. I endured the day and the nightly sleepover until Drillboy had finally dozed off before I was out of my room and down a floor. The strange thing was that the door to one of the rooms opened before I even got to knocking on any of them. Red smiled at me and I approached.  
  
“We need to talk.”  
  
“We do. Please come in.”  
  
I entered without hesitation. Blue was quick to touch me and I found that I didn’t mind it, strangely enough. So I let him hold my arm.  
  
“Monica said that you would be coming.”  
  
“No one else seemed willing to tell me where you were.”  
  
“Yes, they have been very hostile since our fusion.”  
  
“I assume you haven’t been avoiding me?” Was my first question.  
  
“No of course not. Your… teammates just don’t want us around you.” Blue responded right away and I could feel his grip tighten on my arm as the constant pressure rose just a bit.  
  
“Of course. Now could you tell me what’s going on? If no one wants you here then why are you still here and not back in the states?”  
  
"We can’t.” Came the simple answer from Red.  
  
“Why not?”  
  
“Incomplete or not you became a part of our team.”  
  
“And what does that mean?”  
  
“That it would hurt if we strayed too far from each other for too long.”  
  
Was that what happened on the bridge? Was that why it had hurt so much? Had I gone too far from them? But what exactly would happen and what did that mean for us?  
  
“Is that why it hurt when I tried to cross the bridge?”  
  
“Yes. Usually the range isn’t that short, but we think it has to do with how unstable our bond is. The strain becomes too much after a while and we get anxious before it starts hurting.”  
  
“We’ve been trying to get through to you and fix it, but I don’t think it’s been working.”  
  
“Get through how?”  
  
“Through the bond. But the only time you appeared to feel anything was after we got repaired. It’s not strong enough.”  
  
So the strange pressure was Them? This was explaining some things, but it wasn’t explaining everyone else's behaviour. They obviously didn’t like Red and Blue, but did that distrust extend to me now because of this bond thing? All they had to tell me was to not go out so far and what it was and I wouldn’t have gone so far and driven off the bridge. If they had explained any of this things would have been going on a lot smoother.  
  
“Ok so the strange pressure is the both of you. That explains some things, but what are you trying to do exactly?”  
  
“You Can feel us?” Blue perked up. “Do you feel this?”  
  
The pressure increased and I breathed a sigh, but nodded.  
  
“That’s great. What do you feel?”  
  
“Just pressure. Occasionally it increases. Now what are you trying to do?”  
  
“Strengthen the bond. Fix it. For a while we were just trying to call you to come to us, but it wasn’t working and I can see why if not even our emotions are getting across.” Red frowned.  
  
“It’s a little unnerving knowing you’re there, but still feeling this void from you most the time. The only time we were in sync was when you got too far. It really hurt and we couldn’t get out of here fast enough.”  
  
“I think that actually helped us match up a bit more. For a brief time we could feel how exhausted the strain made you… Why were you trying to leave?”  
  
“I got sick of being constantly watched. Now is there a way to get rid of this bond?”  
  
They looked like I had slapped them and for some reason I wanted to reassure them. But there was nothing for me to reassure them about. I wanted out and I wanted them to trust me again. I didn’t want to depend on anyone.  
  
“Why would you want to get rid of it?” Blue asked after a moment.  
  
“I’m not one of you and I can’t have this causing problems when you do leave.”  
  
“Sure you are. You became one of us when we fused remember? When we became Ultra. Don’t you remember how powerful we were and how nice it felt to be together?”  
  
“No. That time is a bit of a blur to me. I can’t properly bring up those memories.”  
  
“Then we can share it with you. Maybe that will help settle the bond.” Blue pulled me toward the berth and sat down. “We’ll just connect some cables and we can share the experience. It’s the exact same for all of us since we’re one being when fused so it should fill in some gaps.”  
  
“You’re not listening. We need this to break or whatever as soon as possible.”  
  
“Please. Maybe you’ll understand if we showed you.”  
  
I had a feeling that this was a bad idea, but I couldn’t find it in myself to deny him. It wasn’t like it was an interface. It was just sharing data. Though we prefered to pass along information with speech there were times it was simply easier through data. So I turned up my wrist and opened the little port. It was just a little data. What could possibly go wrong?  
  
But before we could connect the little cord we heard fast steps. Heavy steps coming down the hall. That was not a human and I felt myself freeze up, brace myself along with Red and Blue. I knew I wasn’t doing anything wrong so why was I expecting to be scolded. The door was yanked open and of everyone it was Deckered. And he looked pissed. This was probably the angriest I had seen him in a long time. I had to wonder why he was here. He should have been at Yuuta’s.  
  
Not a word was spoken as I was dragged from the room like I was a child. The wrist that I had opened was the one he had chosen to grasp and I took a moment to right myself as I stumbled after him.  
  
“I found him.” He spoke stiffly into the badge that doubled as our communicators.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An argument occurs.

I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to say. I had been dragged all the way down and into the Decker room where Drillboy had practically crowed at my being ok. I had torn my wrist away and closed the port without a word. My wrist having been open didn’t go unnoticed.  
  
“Why was your wrist port open?” Came the first question, one that Deckered answered for me.  
  
“He was sharing data with them.”  
  
“What?” Dumpson looked rather surprised.  
  
“What did they share with you?” McCrane asked, his expression so neutral that I wasn’t sure if he was angry or concerned.  
  
“Nothing.” I hissed.  
  
“Don’t lie to us. We need to know what they did.”  
  
They were accusing me of lying to them now. What did Ultra do that made them so hostile to me? Me. They had to know that I wasn’t Ultra, right? They had no right to do this to me. All they had been doing was lie to me this entire time.  
  
“Don’t go accusing me of lying. You weren’t even there.”  
  
“You’re right, I wasn’t, but the evidence is There. You were with them and you had one of your wrist ports open.”  
  
“We didn’t get to sharing anything! Nothing happened! We were interrupted! And suppose something did happen, how would that be any of your business?”  
  
Despite my tone the tension seemed to ease just a bit.  
  
“What did they offer to share then?” Duke asked next.  
  
“It’s none of your business.” I repeated harshly.  
  
“Gunmax, please-”  
  
“No. What I do or don’t do with them has nothing to do with any of you. All of you have been hiding things from me and following me around like I can’t take care of myself since it happened. None of you have any right to ask, let alone demand what I’ve been doing.”  
  
“You don’t understand.” Drillboy tried.  
  
“Because none of you will tell me anything! The only way I can get answers is by going to them! They’re the only ones that aren’t lying about something!”  
  
“You won’t tell us anything either!” He snapped right back. “You just say you’re fine when we ask!”  
  
“Because I feel fine! Nothing feels wrong! There’s new coding, we know that! They’re working on it! There’s nothing to say! I am Fine!”  
  
“If you’re fine then why did you drive off a bridge?!”  
  
And there was Dumpson with the bridge incident again, which was Their fault. They had more of a clue to what had happened than I did. All they had to tell me was that being too far apart would cause pain and then it wouldn’t have happened.  
  
“That was Your fault!”  
  
“My fault?! How was that My fault!”  
  
“It was all of your faults! None of it would have happened if you had just left me alone! All of you treat me with more distrust than you ever have!”  
  
“We don’t distrust you.”  
  
McCrane was trying to be the mediator again and diffuse the situation, but I wasn’t having it.  
  
“Then quit acting like it! Quit following me around and doubting everything I say!”  
  
“We just want to make sure you’re ok.”  
  
For the love of all that was good, I was going to kill them. How many times did I have to tell them that I was fine? This was not happening again.  
  
“I’m not doing this again.”  
  
I shoved McCrane and Drillboy out of the way and started off.  
  
“Where are you going?”  
  
“To bed! Now leave me alone!”  
\----------------------------  
  
Despite what happened last night nothing had changed. They still followed me around. They still asked me where I was going and escorted me everywhere.  
  
Some way to show that they still trusted me.  
  
It was becoming a bit of a game now where I tried to escape them while they tried to keep track of me. Occasionally I’d glare at the cameras I knew I couldn’t sneak by, but I was getting better at it. And it was when I was celebrating my current escape and trying to keep myself out of sight when I was pulled into a storage room.  
  
“Shh!”  
  
I paused in my struggle. Red and Blue. They released me.  
  
“What are you doing?”  
  
“We couldn’t get to you with them around. So this was the only option since we couldn’t come to you directly.” Red answered.  
  
“Why are they so intent on this?” I huffed. “We didn’t Do anything to them as Ultra, did we?”  
  
“Nope. Not a thing.” Blue threaded his fingers into mine.  
  
“You’ll get used to it. Bluelight is touchy.” Red spoke before I could comment. “Now we probably don’t have much time. We need to act now. Either we do the data sharing now or we could risk sneaking out and doing it somewhere else.”  
  
“Let’s do it now.” Blue pulled on our hands.  
  
“I have to agree. They’re always looking for me. Show me.”  
  
Blue pulled us over to some containers and we sat. I opened the port and Blue paused.  
  
“Open the other one too. We should go through it together.”  
  
“Blue, we don’t know how intense this will be for him.”  
  
“All the more reason to have us both help him through it. Right?” Blue turned to me.  
  
Welp. May as well. This may be my only chance. So it had to be done now and it had to be done right.  
  
“Do it.” I opened up the second one.  
  
They didn’t waste any time. Connecting like this was always unnerving. Sharing information like this with so many barriers down made me feel vulnerable. If we wanted to attack each other now we could do some irreversible damage to each other. Doing this required trust and for some reason I knew that they wouldn’t dare to harm me.  
  
“Ready?” Came the question through the data.  
  
“Yes.”  
  
The file was opened and… there was the feeling of fusing again next to the feeling of my corrupted data being repaired. It was familiar and just as intense and overwhelming as it had been when I actually did it. That feeling like I was beginning to lose myself… No not exactly.  
  
“Never lost. Just finding your place in the fusion.”  
  
“Just syncing.”  
  
The two spoke gently through it as it finished. Memories were lined up. Emotions shared. Experiences understood and felt. Until we were just parts of one. All of us were his and he was far stronger than we could ever become. And he needed the parts that made him up. He needed us. So much strength running through our lines. And then… This desperate desire to live. Something was wrong.  
  
“You didn’t have the coding or the mechanisms to fuse. To stay.”  
  
“So Ultra began to alter us. Alter you so that we’d fit. So you wouldn’t be irreparably damaged during the split. So that he would still exist after word.”  
  
“Without us our fusions wouldn’t be.”  
  
“We die, they die.”  
  
And there it was. The identification of what was wrong. The connections hadn’t been completed. Nothing was fit how it was supposed to be. It was stable, but changes would be needed for it to be completed. That made him, us weaker. Then there was the order sent to each part. To shift. To change. To merge completely and each part had responded. Coding changing and plating shifting. But it was a slow process. Rush it too much and it would be too tiring to continue. Yet, it had to be rushed. Threats were trying to break it.  
  
“They wanted us to break the fusion. They didn’t care to understand.”  
  
“There was no way they could.”  
  
The hate that was directed our way. They hadn’t liked Ultra. They hadn’t liked us. And there was this fear. This intense fear that they would break us apart like they threatened. So the connections and altercations began to be slowly rushed along and it had hurt a bit. Like a cramp, but once one was done there was relief. And then we were attacked. So much fear. Betrayal. We had run. We had hidden.  
  
“And then they found us.”  
  
Pain. So much pain. Wires snapping and plating bending. The feeling of having armor, limbs slowly torn off. Internals being broken, fuses popping. Fluids fizzling as internal temperatures rose due to the pain. Too exhausted to fight it despite knowing what was happening. I was going to die. A scream tore from me as something deep snapped. And then it was over and I saw three views. Gasping and clutching at my arm as it screamed the damage at me. Curling into myself, face in the trash, as oil leaked out of too many places to count. Laying in pain, Deckerd propping me up as warning upon warning blocked my vision before I was shut down.  
  
I was panting as I came back to myself. My throat felt raw. Had I been screaming? Blue was trying to soothe me as Red undid the connection and shut ports. I let my head fall onto his shoulder and he simply held me. The phantom pain slowly began to fade. I had a sense of deja vu as the door to our hiding spot was slammed open. Though this time it wasn’t just Deckered and I could hear others coming to join them.


End file.
